PORT ANGELES — Clallam County Commissioner Mike Chapman vehemently defended himself and other the county officials against public criticism for the state-required shoreline master plan update Tuesday.
All cities and 39 counties are required to update their Shoreline Master Programs by 2014. Clallam County’s current plan was adopted in the mid-1970s.
The updates have fanned controversy in other jurisdictions — such as in neighboring Jefferson County, which Tuesday received conditional approval of its plan from the state Department of Ecology — because some place restrictions on shoreline development by setting buffers to protect waterways.
Shoreline plans are required by the 1972 Shoreline Management Act, which the state Department of Ecology said is intended to “prevent the inherent harm in an uncoordinated and piecemeal development of the state’s shorelines.”
The county received a $1 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency last year to define and achieve “no net loss of ecological function” of shorelines and to apply some of the groundwork to other jurisdictions in the Puget Sound basin.
‘Property taken’
Jo Anne Estes, who spoke during two public comment periods Tuesday, said citizens “need to know now what’s going on” because “their property is about to be taken.”
Chapman replied: “I just reject that philosophy that that’s going to be the end game.
“Quite frankly, you can make the argument that we’ve spent a lot of taxpayer dollars to defend property rights to the chagrin of other services,” Chapman said.
Earlier in the meeting, Estes said there was a “lack of transparency” in the shoreline update process.
“There’s no plan for just compensation to property owners, who are truly the key stakeholders, who lose their rights to their private property,” she said.
Estes described the shoreline updates as another layer of restriction on private property rights. She compared them to the Growth Management Act, critical area ordinances and buffer setbacks.
“Why revise the Shoreline Master Program at all?” she asked.
Commissioner Mike Doherty said the updates are required by state law.
“I took an oath of office to uphold the laws of the state of Washington,” Chapman said later.
The commissioners voted unanimously to approve a public participation strategy for the shoreline update last March.
A series of presentations was conducted throughout January, and another is scheduled for the Dry Creek Water District from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Dry Creek Grange, 3130 W. Edgewood Drive.
A series of forums and public meetings will be held before the Clallam County Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners hold formal hearings.
Protect property rights
“Our track record is pretty good in defending property rights in this county,” Chapman said.
“Honestly, we get beat up from the other side that we’re not doing enough.
“We’ve literally drawn lines around pieces of property through the Growth Management Hearings Board to defend property rights, and we’re still attacked in litigation to the federal Court of Appeals in Tacoma. We’re waiting to hear about our appeal to defend your property rights.
“I’m pretty passionate about this. I get pretty worked up when people assume what I’m going do.”‘
Pearl Rains Hewett, who attended a Jan. 26 forum, said some citizens were fearful over what the update will mean to them.
“If the Clallam County update on the Shoreline Master Program turns out to be anything like the one in Port Townsend, my conclusion is that any type of property owner that lives within 150 feet of a mud puddle has a reason to be concerned,” Hewett said.
At the end of the meeting, Chapman said: “It’s actually really encouraging that you guys have learned about it and know about it and want to know how you can participate, but months ago, we set the public participation plan,” Chapman said.
“I reject the idea that we’re hiding something.”
The county will later announce dates and places for regional forums.
For more information about Clallam County’s Shoreline Master Program update, e-mail SMP@co.clallam.wa.us, phone 360-417-2563 or visit www.clallam.net.
________
Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.